Signifying Nothing
by thirteenxwishes
Summary: Living alone is liberating, lonely, sometimes lively. At least, that's what Kagome thinks when she moves into her new apartment. Just wait until she meets the neighbours... ::A series of drabbles and one-shots, making the everyday extraordinary. I/K AU::
1. First Sightings

* * *

**Disclaimer:** Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takashi et al - not me! :(

_A/N:_ So, this is the start of another one-shot/drabble collection, this time centred around the relationship between Inuyasha and Kagome. You never know, some MirokuxSango could sneak in there at some point, but for now, I'll settle for our favourite canon couple. Speaking of canon - this isn't. If you hadn't gathered. This is very much AU - a phase which I'm enjoying quite a lot at the moment! So, here we go again; introducing, 'Signifying Nothing'.

No prompt, just my brain. Word count, 600-ish words. Un-beta'd.

* * *

**&&&**

**

* * *

**

**First Sightings**

"Done!"

The last of the heavy boxes dropped to the floor with a dusty thud. Kagome stepped back, sporting a grin wide enough to light up the empty room - although, her moment of triumph was soon interrupted by a scuffle outside the door. A bedraggled Sango staggered in, laden down with a large assortment of clothes bags.

"Finished?? _Please _tell me you said that we're done!" Her smile clearly spoke for itself, because Sango cheered. "Finally! Welcome to your new apartment, Kagome!" The bags joined the boxes in the collection on the wooden floor. "Plus ridiculously heavy belongings. My back hates you now, by the way. You owe me a massage!"

Kagome rolled her eyes, shifting an errant bag with a slippered foot.

"I don't know about a massage, but how does a cup of tea sound? And the promise of a film night, next weekend...?"

Sango pretended to think for a moment, but the smile playing around her mouth gave her away.

"I suppose it'll have to do. As long as you let me organise your flat-warming."

Kagome groaned, throwing her arms into the air as she moved across the room to the small kitchenette, tea-bound.

"Sango... do I _have_ to have a flat-warming? Can't I just move in on the quiet?"

"Kagome..."

Sigh.

"Fine! But only a small one. An angry landlord is something I want to avoid in my first week, all right?"

She didn't need to look up from behind the kitchen counter to see the smug grin on Sango's face, and kept on digging around for the elusive kettle.

"You know it's a good idea, Kagome. Where are the mugs, anyway? You have too many boxes!"

"In one of the crates in the corner. Be careful, there's sharp stuff in there."

The sound of clinking crockery drifted lazily from the other side of room, and Kagome soon had the water boiling and a new box of teabags sitting open by the sink. Humming happily, she turned to gaze out of the window, across the bustling city and up to the clear blue sky. The sun hung heavy and bright, its warmth sinking pleasantly into her skin through glass and cotton cardigan. Kagome let herself drift, soaking in the beauty of the day, undisturbed.

At least, until her eyes caught a movement in the car park below her window.

A man was getting out of a car - and he had the wildest, thickest mane of black hair she'd ever seen. Her lips parted in astonishment, and she kept watching him as he walked towards the entrance of the complex.

_'A visitor, maybe? Or does he live here, too?'_

Suddenly, he looked up, pale face lit from behind by the sun. She could see his eyes, roaming across the front of the building. They swept past her window, but paused, darted back, until he was gazing straight at her.

And Kagome found herself unable to look away. Even from a few floors up, he was utterly captivating. Maybe it was the walk. Or the hair.

_'No. It's definitely the eyes. Are they... purple?'_

He kept on moving towards the building, not breaking eye contact with her.

_'Is he frowning?'_

Kagome found herself faced with a dilemma; smile, or pretend she wasn't looking?

_'Ah, both. What the heck.'_

A small smile was all she managed to offer before she was saved by the kettle, which clicked and drowned her in a cloud of steam. After a minor coughing fit, she heard Sango padding across the room, socks slipping against the shiny wood.

"Found the mugs! Now, all we need is some chocolate and a film..."

Her friend chattered on, and she listened absently as she stirred the tea, still dwelling on the beautiful man in the car park and those enthralling eyes.

_'I wonder if I'll see him again?'_

_

* * *

_

**&&&**

**

* * *

**

Hm, I wonder? ^.~ Any and all feedback appreciated. Thanks for reading!


	2. How Do You Solve A Problem Like Miroku?

**Disclaimer:** Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takashi et al - not me! :(

_A/N:_ Still going, here I am with instalment number two. I've put my name down for yet another prompt claim - InuyashaxKagome _again_, except this time I'll be attempting canon. So... if that's your kind of thing, keep an eye out. I'll start posting when my claim gets accepted.

Based on the prompt 'Excuses', at the LJ comm iyissekiwa, but not entered into the contest because of word count troubles. Word count, 528 words. (Just a _tad_ over 250, then. xD) Un-beta'd.

* * *

**&&&**

**

* * *

**

**How Do You Solve A Problem Like Miroku?**

Preparations for the reluctant housewarming soon ground to a halt. Sango was busy at work, and Kagome was spending most of her time job-hunting, and the rest fawning over the half-finished novel sitting on her laptop hard-drive.

It was a 'fawning' morning when she had her first visitor.

Knowing Sango was down at the dojo, she padded across the room, curious. The locks clicked and the door swung open to reveal... a man. Dark hair, dark eyes and a cheerful smile.

"Kagome, I presume?"

"Yes..." She surreptitiously hid her body behind the frame.

"I'm Miroku - from the flat next door. I thought I'd take the opportunity to come and greet you properly?"

Kagome blinked, eyes wide.

"Oh! You're next door? I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself, it totally slipped my mind!" She cast her mind about for a subject. "Erm, would you like to come in? I have tea."

The sly smile spread wider, and she felt a little wary. But Miroku seemed friendly enough, so she stepped aside in invitation.

He took it - but not in the way she expected.

_'... is he... groping me?'_

"Why, thank you Kagome, I would love to-"

She took a breath to shout, or slap, or scream, but someone got there first.

"Oi, letch, leave her alone. I won't make excuses for you this time."

_'This time?? Oh god, I'm living next door to a _pervert!_'_

The hand withdrew. She looked in the direction of the voice, and had to stop her jaw from hitting the floor. It was the man - the one from the car park, with the hair and the eyes, and oh, he was hot close up.

Miroku had the decency to look suitably abashed.

"I'm sorry about that. I'd say it was a family curse, but you probably wouldn't believe me. Please accept my humble apologies, and allow me to introduce my wayward friend and roommate, Inuyasha."

The man - 'Inuyasha', a name to put with the face - looked at her for a moment, arms crossed, and she found her tongue.

"So, you're next door as well?"

Her voice didn't waver, and she was proud of it. She couldn't say the same for her knees, which were now the consistency of warm jelly. Inuyasha scoffed.

"That's the usual definition of 'roommates', yes."

She scowled, hands on hips, but ignored the taunt.

"Nice to meet you, anyway. I'm Kagome. Kagome Higurashi, who is still offering tea, as long as _he-" _A pointed glance at Miroku, 'the letch'. "-keeps his hands to himself. And maybe explaining about that 'family curse' of yours would help your case with me a bit, hm?"

The dark haired man offered her a smile.

"I'm at your service. And tea sounds wonderful. I'll tie my hands, if you want."

Mishaps aside, Miroku did have an easy charm, and she couldn't help but warm to him. She grinned at the earnest look in his eyes.

"Don't worry, it's fine - I can defend myself with a dishcloth if the worst comes to the worst. Or hire my friend as backup; she works at a dojo, so watch your step!"

Inuyasha looked skywards, probably asking for some kind of divine help.

"Got coffee?"

"Yeah, I have."

"What are we waiting out here for, then!"

She laughed, surprised, and let them in.

And so it began.

* * *

**&&&**

**

* * *

**

Not really sure what people think about this collection, so far - so any feedback will be muchly appreciated. Thanks for reading!


	3. Continuing Misfortune

**

* * *

**

**Disclaimer: **Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takashi et al - not me! :(

_A/N:_ I really should be doing my essay right now, but this idea wouldn't leave me alone. ;.; Designed as an exercise in dialogue/character interaction, so any feedback on that would be very much appreciated. :) Also, on whether you think the transition between last chapter and this is all right? Is their friendship too sudden? In character? I can never judge these things, so I'm relying on you guys. Anyway, enjoy.

No contest prompt, just an idea from me, thanks to the random word generator coming up with 'Rain'. Word count, 581 words. Un-beta'd.

* * *

**&&&**

* * *

**Continuing Misfortune (or, Should We Burst Into Song Now?)**

'_Why, oh why, oh _why_ do things like this _always_ happen to me??'_

Kagome's lament fell unheard as she hurried through the pouring rain. Her thin sweater clung to her like a second skin, probably more liquid than fabric after almost five minutes on storm-style spin cycle. The carrier bags swung painfully into her legs with every step, and the wind made a habit of shoving her backwards just when she thought she'd got the hang of walking while blinded by water.

"If only I'd brought an umbrella. Or even a coat. Urgh. Stupid, unexpected weather. And the sky looked so blue before I left…"

Her impromptu shopping trip had taken a turn for the worse almost as soon as she set foot out of the supermarket. Looking down, the food was soaked.

Wonderful.

Bracing herself against another volley of rain, Kagome staggered along the road towards the looming apartment complex, a glowing salvation on the corner.

"Oi."

At first, she thought her ears were playing tricks on her, only hearing the rush of the weather. But then, something heavy was draped over her shoulders and hair, protecting her from the rain, and she looked up, startled.

Inuyasha scowled down at her, black hair lying in long strands against his soaked white shirt.

"Don't you know what an umbrella is, woman?"

She felt her cheeks beginning to burn.

"It wasn't raining when I went out! And I can't help it if the weather won't make up its mind…"

He rolled his eyes.

"There's something called the forecast – y'know, on TV? At lunchtime?"

"If you're trying to annoy me, you're doing a damn good job of it."

His scowl melted into a smirk, and he held up his hands, placating.

"Hey, just trying to help. Now, give me some of that shopping. The faster we get inside, the faster you can make me some coffee in return for getting my jacket drenched."

She snorted, but couldn't help her smile as Inuyasha scooped up some of the heavy bags, not bothering to retrieve said jacket from its perch on her head. As they walked, he peered into one of the carriers.

"Is that ramen?"

"Yes, why?"

"You eat _ramen_?"

"Yes. What else is an unemployed writer supposed to live off? Dust?"

"… Heh. Screw the coffee. Hope your microwave's up for some heavy duty heating. I eat these in bulk."

"Inuyasha! What am I supposed to eat this week?"

He waved a hand.

"I'll get Miroku to make up some of that stir-fry shit he always does. I'm surprised you couldn't smell it from the hallway."

"… Stir-fry?"

"Yeah. Every night. I hate it."

"Maybe we should swap flats. Or diets. I love stir-fry."

"… what, you want to _live _with that letch? You insane?"

"Well, since I don't know you two that well yet, I wouldn't be able to tell."

"Trust me. You don't want to."

His expression convinced her. Silence fell, broken only by the quiet patter of rain on paving.

"Inuyasha?"

"What?"

"Thanks. You know, for helping me."

The smirk returned.

"I saw that ramen a mile away. You think I wasn't going to help you after that?"

"Hey!"

The banter continued. Neither noticed when the rain stopped, nor did they see the scheming expression on Sango's face as she drove past the walking pair, heading for the dojo. Warming her hands in front of the heater, she smiled wickedly.

"All right, Kagome, keep your secrets. I'll wheedle them out of you, eventually…"

* * *

**&&&**

* * *

Feedback is a wonderful thing - my version of Inuyasha's coffee fix, I suppose. So, feed my addiction? xD Concrit earns cookies. Thanks for reading!


	4. A Little Too Much

**Disclaimer: **Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi et al - not me! :(

_A/N:_ I'm back again, and this time, complete with shiny drunken antics - which, interestingly, I've never written before. :P So, authenticity of drunkeness? Yes, please! :) Tried to make it humorous - probably failed, but I'll let you be the judge of that! :) Thanks to all who provided the lovely feedback last chapter - you are stars, each and every one of you. ^^ -hugs- Once again, typo point-outs earn moar!hugs. *nodnod*

No contest prompt - again. My brain helpfully provided 'Liquor', which I couldn't leave alone. Word count, 1,614 words. (Ish) Un-beta'd.

* * *

**&&&**

**

* * *

**

**A **_**Little **_**Too Much (or, Sango, put that glass down!)**

That night, Sango came over for the promised girly evening. Accompanied not by a handsome, rich man as she would have wanted, but with something almost as good - numerous bottles of alcoholic content, and questions to match. They sat around the table, ate their favourite takeaway, and had a good old chat.

Well. It wasn't so much 'chatting' as 'Sango firing a barrage of words in her general direction and Kagome trying (and failing) to keep up'.

The conversation started innocently enough, over the preliminary glass of wine.

"So, who was he, then?"

Kagome paused, mid-drink.

"Who was who?"

Sango's sly smile was starting to scare her. And that was without mentioning the way her eyes were glittering over the rim of her glass. By now, Kagome could recognise the 'I know something you don't know' look from miles away.

"The guy."

"Which guy?"

The smile turned triumphant.

"There's more than one?"

Kagome choked on her wine. After a mild coughing fit in which Sango didn't help at all, she managed to answer.

"What?! There isn't even _one, _Sango - are you ill or something? Amnesia, maybe? Did one of the students hit you too hard with the _bokken_ today?"

"Even I thought that could be an option when I saw you walking in the rain with a black-haired muscle man."

Blink.

"What, you mean Inuyasha?"

The eyebrow ascended until it almost disappeared behind Sango's fringe. Kagome groaned, and had another drink of wine.

"Sango, I hate to wreck your dreams of setting me up with Mr. Right, but Inuyasha's my neighbour. He was only helping me out when I got caught in the storm on the way back from the shops. Really, there's nothing going on."

Sango scoffed. Kagome scowled.

"Really! Absolutely nothing."

"But... you think he's hot, yes?"

"... Yes, but that doesn't change anything. We're neighbours - friends, at the most - and that is that. Now, I believe I promised you films? What do you want to watch?"

"Okay, Kagome, I'll let you change the subject. But this won't be the last you hear from me about this - it's only just beginning!"

All she got in reply was another muted grumble as her friend rifled through the DVD cabinet.

"At least let me enjoy my evening in peace, without having to fend off your wrong assumptions - please, Sango?"

"Yeah, yeah, all right. Lie to yourself for now. Where's the wine bottle? And have you got that new film in?"

"Thank you, I'm not lying to myself because nothing is happening, on the counter and yes, I have!" She produced said film was a flourish, and in a matter of minutes, the pair were immersed in the heady, warm place that is the generic chick-flick.

And so, the evening passed. Tissues were opened, and chocolate eaten. The wine was finished, as was the next bottle, as was the makeshift cocktails - as was Kagome's limited supply of liquor. Three films were eventually demolished, but by the time they reached the fourth, they were giggling too loudly to get up and find another. Glasses were abandoned by this point, and when Sango attempted to go over to the kitchenette during a lucid moment to pour herself some water, she careered into the sofa and set off the laughter all over again.

When she calmed down, the prone woman decided that going outside to get some fresh air and sober up was probably a good idea. Kagome, sprawled across the floor on her back, agreed.

"... there's a coffee machine, d-down in the laundry room." Her mid-sentence snort was stifled, lest it develop into more sourceless hysterics. "Maybe we should go and grab a cup - sober up. Inuyasha drank all my coffee..."

This was inexplicably upsetting, but the tipsy Kagome had no time to dwell on it, as Sango was already heading shakily towards the door.

"Ooh, he's been drinkin' your coffee, has he, now! That means he's been he-re! In your flat!" Her trill was accompanied by the opening of the door. Kagome wavered after her, somehow retaining enough common sense to keep her friend quiet as they half-walked, half-fell down the stairs.

In the laundry room - conveniently enough, just off the main lobby - the coffee machine was switched on with medium fuss. And they left it boiling, opting to go and stand in the cold night air. In pyjamas.

But it was reasonable. It wasn't even raining anymore.

"See, perfectly fine!"

Sango certainly sounded more sober, Kagome deduced, after being blown a few feet backwards by a blast of freezing wind.

"Who says there's no way to recover after drinking too much? They should come to your building, Kagome, and stand outside! Like us!"

All right. Maybe not _quite _sober. Kagome was feeling marginally better - but she hadn't had as much to drink as Sango. She could still see straight, for starters. Which was always a bonus in these kinds of situations. Thought and coherent speech were returning, with effort, in the chill of the night. Feeling not-so drunk, Kagome slung a supporting arm around Sango's shoulder and was about to steer her towards one of the benches when the glare of headlights swung into the car park. She was forced to shield her eyes from the dazzling brightness.

The car stopped and flicked them off, the engine rumbling and then fading into silence. The afterimage of the lights burned, but she carried on shifting Sango anyway. There was no way her friend would be driving home tonight. And she couldn't exactly be a chauffeur - not knowing how to drive was probably the largest of their problems on that front.

Settling them both on the cool wood of the picnic bench, Kagome peered through the gloom at the figure emerging from the car. He - definitely male - looked vaguely familiar. Not as tall as she remembered Inuyasha being, from earlier today, but...

"Kagome?"

Ah. Miroku. He stopped and looked down at them, keys hanging loosely from his right hand. A bemused smile crinkled the edges of his eyes and mouth.

"May I enquire why exactly you are sitting on a bench, outside, in the middle of the night?"

"Well..." Her brain, while recovering, took a few seconds to put her words into the right order.

"It involves chocolate, alcohol, films, and alcohol. Blame Sango, it was her idea for us to have a night in. I think..."

The confusion was replaced by amusement as she rambled on, and the dark-haired man turn to face her (strangely quiet) drinking partner.

"So, _you _are the delectable reason why my lovely neighbour is sitting out in the cold, clearly a little inebriated and struggling to string a sentence together."

Sango gazed up at him from her position sheltered beneath Kagome's arm.

"... You have beautiful eyes."

Miroku blinked. A smile, visible even in the dark, bloomed across his face. Kagome recognised it with distant horror. It was the pre-groping smile. Although she had only witnessed it first-hand once, it wasn't something easily forgotten.

"Why, thank-"

She thought it best to intervene. One drunk dojo mistress against a perverted neighbour? She knew who her money was on.

"Before you start to work your magic on her, she's had much more to drink than me. And therefore doesn't really know what she's saying."

Miroku's eyes twinkled in her direction, but his attention didn't stray from Sango.

"I see and understand, Kagome. Would you like some... assistance? Helping her upstairs?"

"Erm.. I think I'll be... ah."

It dawned on her that Sango, after her bleary comment, had nodded off, head leaning comfortably against her shoulder.

"'Ah', indeed, Kagome."

"In that case - we made some coffee. From the machine. ...In the laundry room."

"Would you not like me to help your friend?"

A wry look was a prelude to her dry comment.

"Miroku, even if I am a teensy bit drunk, that doesn't mean I've forgotten what you did when I first met you. Sango wouldn't be happy to be groped. In her sleep."

He huffed, playfully affronted.

"Why Kagome, I-"

"Oh, and this is the woman who runs the dojo, by the way... the one I warned you about?"

"I'll get the coffee!"

He was gone before she could open her mouth.

Happy that she could still win an argument while under the influence of various drinks, Kagome giggled, and started to pull Sango away from the bench and up the stairs. Miroku reappeared at the door, two steaming mugs balanced in one hand, the other arm free to help with their sleeping beauty.

"You're lucky that Inuyasha is at work, tonight. First, he would probably be annoyed at you for disturbing him, or distracting him. Then, he'd go after the coffee."

Huffing as the began the trek up the stairs, Kagome snorted.

"Ah, I don't know. He isn't that bad... even helped me carry all my shopping back when it rained today."

Too absorbed in hauling the dead-weight Sango around to the next flight, she missed Miroku's surprised look. But she didn't miss his words, murmured in the quiet of the stairwell.

"Inuyasha is a man of many different layers, Kagome - watch your step."

As he used his weight to steady her after a slight stumble, Kagome couldn't help but think that Miroku meant more than he was saying. She ignored the idea, too busy focusing on Sango and the buzz of alcohol - still lazily wandering through her bloodstream - to start puzzling out motivations.

After a swift good-bye and heartfelt thanks to her grinning neighbour at the door, she stumbled inside, ready to get Sango into bed and pass out herself. Really - if their film evening had deteriorated this badly, how the hell was she going to manage an entire flat-warming?

_'Easy answer. With less alcohol.'_

Decided, Kagome downed her coffee and started digging around for an extra blanket. She took out the new packet of painkillers while she was there, in preparation for the fresh hell that would wreak havoc tomorrow morning.

_'We're _so _going to regret this...'_

_

* * *

_

**&&&**

**

* * *

**

Feedback is a wonderful thing. ^^ Concrit earns cookies, as does any gratuitous love for the continued coffee mentions. xD Thanks for reading!


	5. A Helping Hand

**Disclaimer: **Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi et al - not me! :(

_A/N:_ And here's the aftermath of the drunken antics. :) Another one-shot continuation, but there may be some drabbles being added to this as I start doing some contest prompts again as I have more time.

No contest entry - inspired by a random word generator pick, 'Organic'. Word count, 1,900 words, or so about. Un-beta'd, so all errors are my own.

* * *

**&&&**

**

* * *

**

**A Helping Hand**

"Urgh… my _head_!"

The incoherent groan came from her bedroom at around ten o'clock the next morning. Kagome, already awake and stirring a pot of coffee filched from the machine downstairs, winced in sympathy. Her head was throbbing even after a fair dosage of painkillers, and she hadn't downed half as much as poor Sango.

'_Wait, why am I saying 'poor'? I had to carry her up the stairs last night! Oh god, I have to thank Miroku again for helping me…'_

"Kagoommee…"

The pitiful whine reminded her of her current predicament, and she gave the dark liquid one last swirl before pouring it smoothly into the two waiting mugs.

"All right, Sango, give me a minute… there's some water and two pills for you to take on the dresser. Once the world's stopped spinning, I'll go and get us some food."

A muffled grunt was her only reply. Kagome picked up the coffee and went to the aid of her stricken friend. In the bedroom, all that could be seen of Sango was a large lump bundled beneath the duvet. Brown hair spilled from the gap in the covers, tangled and messy.

"Come on, here's coffee. You'll feel better in no time." Her smile turned teasing. "And what would your students say if they saw you now, I wonder?"

An arm emerged, and the white sheets were thrown aside to reveal a monster rising from the depths. The pointed death glare from bloodshot eyes only complemented the terrifying picture - for Kagome, she'd seen Sango in this state far too many times for the effect to be anything other than highly amusing. Unfortunately, her friend noticed her stifled giggle.

"If you laugh, Kagome Higurashi, I swear-"

"What? You'll drool on me?"

"No! Why, you-"

Sango sat up, ready to get out of bed and pummel Kagome - but before she could swing her legs free of the covers, she froze. The colour drained from her face, leaving it a delightful shade of pasty white. Mildly concerned, Kagome poked her inert friend with a bare foot.

"Hey. Sango, you all right?"

"… everything's spinning… Um, Kagome… I really don't feel well. And not just hangover-not-feeling-well…"

Detecting the uncharacteristic wobble in her voice, Kagome frowned, setting down the coffee and reaching for her forehead. She'd barely brushed the overheated skin when Sango swooned. The woman staggered forwards off the bed and Kagome's quick reflexes were the only thing that saved her from a painful encounter with the floor. Moments later, she was back under the covers with a thermometer lodged between her teeth.

It beeped. Sango grimaced as Kagome pulled it free and read off the temperature - nearly a whole degree higher than it should be.

"You. Painkillers. Now. I'm going out to get you some proper medicine. What were we thinking, going out in the cold last night?"

"… would it help if I said that I don't know?"

"No. Listen to your friend. You're staying here until that temperature's gone."

Sango subsided easily, and Kagome took one glance out of the window before heading to the hallway to grab her coat. She didn't fancy chancing illness herself - especially with the headache still threatening. Suitably attired, Kagome stepped out of the flat.

And straight into Inuyasha.

"Oomph!"

Rough hands came to steady her. Looking up, she found herself the object of a hard violet stare.

"Trying to injure random strangers now?"

"No," she replied wearily. "I'm actually going to buy some medicine for my friend. She's come down with some flu-cold thing, and mixing that with too much to drink last night isn't a good combination."

The stare morphed from its usual blunt intensity to something sharper.

"Flu?"

"Yes. A temperature. Dizzy, generally not feeling well. She said it definitely wasn't just the hangover, and it didn't look that way, either. I've seen enough of Sango post-drinking to know the difference between a hangover and being ill."

"You're worried."

It wasn't a question. She nodded once, jerkily. He was silent for a moment, and then snorted, turning on his heel.

"Keh. If it's just a cold, she'll be fine. No need for you to get so wound up about it."

"Hey!"

"If you're so concerned, go and have a rest yourself. You look beat."

His frank statements tickled her temper. Before she could form a scathing reply, Inuyasha had disappeared back into his flat with a quick glance over his shoulder.

'_Infuriating man. Well. I'll show him!'_

Resolved, she struggled down the stairs and out into the cold morning air.

It was only when she arrived at the pharmacy after a ten minute walk that she remembered what day of the week it was. Sunday. Just after eleven. And all of the shops were closed. This was even more annoying than Inuyasha after too much coffee, and she spent much of the walk back to the complex plotting ways of proving to her neighbour that looking after ill friends was much more worthwhile than whatever he did in his spare time.

Of which she had no idea. But she wouldn't let that stop her.

Stifling a sneeze in her sleeve as she slid her key into the outer door, Kagome missed the twitch of the curtains in the window of the apartment next to hers.

* * *

**&&&**

**

* * *

**

"Sango?"

She shut the door quietly, dropping her coat and walking through to her bedroom. Peering around the frame, she sighed. Sango was fast asleep, face still flushed and feverish.

'_Why does it have to be Sunday, of all days? I don't know if I have anything else to give her, aside from painkillers… and if her fever gets any worse, I should think about taking her to a doctor…'_

Her worries were interrupted by a knock at the door. She left Sango to her sleep and went to answer it, half-hoping for a pair of violet eyes that she could vent her frustration on. The door swung open to reveal the figure she was looking for, but she wasn't given the chance to open her mouth.

"Here."

Something was thrust into her hands, and Inuyasha stepped back, looking a little uncomfortable. She glanced down, finding a small brown paper bag tacked closed by a piece of tape.

"It's medicine. For your friend. I knew the shops were closed, so I figured you'd need some help."

Stupefied, she blinked. His sudden presentation had totally derailed the neat order of her rant.

"What- hang on. Start again."

He crossed his arms, clearly exasperated.

"Look, they're herbs. I grow them in our flat in the window. Peppermint and elderflower - boil them in some water and give them to your friend and they'll get rid of the flu faster than any of that crappy medicine from the pharmacy."

Only one thing crawled its way through the haze of her headache.

"You grow herbs?"

Was that a blush?

"Yeah - for Miroku's stupid stir-fry and a friend who sells teas and other shit to people. She didn't have room to grow them herself, so I did her a favour... What? Is that so weird?"

By the end of his explanation he was frowning fiercely, interpreting her silence as scepticism when really she was more than a little stunned.

"And... you cut these for Sango?"

He snorted.

"Yeah. Stick 'em in some hot water. She'll be better by this evening."

"... thank you, Inuyasha."

"Keh. Just promise you'll stop looking so damn worried."

She smiled. Maybe he wasn't such a bad guy, after all.

"All right, I promise."

"Good. Well. See you later."

He turned to walk away, but Kagome snatched his sleeve, fingers buried easily in the material of his loose jacket.

"Hey, Inuyasha... When Sango's better, I'll make you some ramen and coffee. As thanks."

The man glanced over his shoulder, frown replaced with an arrogant smirk.

"Sounds good."

"... as long as I can come and see the herbs."

The smirk turned into a small smile - genuine, not cocky - and he chuckled, brushing off her fingers.

"Fine, you can come and see the damned herbs. Nosy woman."

"You can't blame me! I've never even seen your flat, and you and Miroku are always coming in and freeloading food and drinks off me, so it's only fair."

"I guess you're right. Oi, go and sort your friend out. Come and get me when the ramen's ready, and we'll work out when you can come and visit."

She nodded, smiling.

"Thanks again, Inuyasha."

"Don't mention it."

Kagome shut the door, feeling her concern for Sango seeping away. Heading over to the kitchenette, she opened the packet and was immediately assaulted by the sweet-sharp mix of peppermint and elderflower - just as Inuyasha said. Humming happily, she went to boil the kettle.

Outside, Inuyasha paused in front of his door, feeling strangely glad that the worry lines had disappeared from Kagome's face as she said good-bye, leaving only her brilliant smile. Seeing them marring her expression was oddly... distressing? No, that wasn't the word. Damnit, they just made him uncomfortable.

_'Keh. She's turning me soppy.'_

Stepping into his flat, he immediately walked over to the wide window and assessed the remaining pots of herbs. They were running low on peppermint - Kaede would be more than a little annoyed if they couldn't get her the usual amount for the shop. Not to mention the spell... no herbs meant no spell, and no spell was a very bad thing indeed.

Muttering under his breath, he started searching for the wayward seed packets and a pair of scissors.

Demanding miko women. They were going to be the death of him.

* * *

**&&&**

**

* * *

**

Feedback makes my day. ^.~ Thanks for reading!


End file.
